V.I.R.A.L

"Where are you going, Gale?!"

"I'm leaving for good this time."

"You can't! We need you!"

"I'm done being your bodyguard! I want to live my own life otherwise I'll just rot away here like dad."

"No, Gale! Come back! Son, please! Who will protect us now?!"

Gale opened his eyes, finding Alton standing above him. "You awake? We're almost there."

Zinnia leaned on the side of the boat, allowing her hand to flow through the water. "I didn't know you lived so far from the capital Gale! A remote island an hour from the closet civilization. Sounds rad!"

"Or a living nightmare." He replied.

Emil yawned, kicking his feet up. "Well, it's better than being cooped up at that damn estate. How can Iris and Alice live like that I have no idea."

"It was not that bad," Scarlett admitted closing her book. "It was nice to have a coterie of other streamers sharing the same ideology with me."

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"Do you have any idea what she says half the time?" Percy questions.

"No idea."

Gale stood up, looking still conflicted by the circumstances. "You guys didn't have to come. It's most likely nothing."

"All the more reason to visit. We can help you quicker. Besides, I think it would be nice to meet your family." Zinnia demanded sorting out her hair into a ponytail. "Do you think they'll like me?"

"Who doesn't…"

"Say, now we're on this conversation. You wouldn't happen to believe it might just be the Cult behind this?"

Percy shook his head. "Highly unlikely. When we spoke with Vanguard, they only seem interested in getting him back on top, coming out to the middle of nowhere to mess with some villagers wouldn't being in their interest."

"Alright, but they are family to Gale, a member of Team Rhapsody, could be a trap to lure us out."

"No." Gale shutdown. "They wouldn't know about my family. Not even they know what I'm doing. I haven't spoken to them in years."

"There we go, Gale has family problems, so the Cult is out of the question. But now a new question arises. Just what is attacking the village then?"

The boat came to a stop on the small island as the captain stopped Gale for a moment. "Just to warn you kids a storm is picking up. I won't be able to come back for a few days. Are you still sure you want to go through with this? If something happens, you will be stranded."

"You trying to scare us, old man? Don't you know who we are? We're Team Rhapsody!" Zinnia gloated.

"If you say so, seen too many people go missing on this island. Shame, you all seemed like good kids."

The boat drove off as Scarlett smiled. "Well wasn't he pleasant?"

"People going missing? Wouldn't happen to do anything with your family?"

"I don't know. Let's just get this over and done with yeah? We can cut through the forest. Most of this island is just a forest. My village is on the beach on the opposite side."

"Well, why didn't he just drop us off there?"

"Too many rocks. The boat would have sunk."

"Alright, through the forest then."

Zinnia began skipping ahead bombarding Gale with questions. "What are your parents like? How many people live in your village? Do they have powers as well? Do they watch our streams?"

"Maybe calm down on the questions Zin yeah? You sound like a couple who's being brought home to his parents for the first time."

"Oh, sorry."

"How about we take five, yeah?" Alton insisted as Zinnia got the hint stepping back before chatting away to Scarlett and Percy. "You sure you're alright buddy?"

"Fine, why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, every time I mention you two being a couple, you get defensive and embarrassed. That didn't happen, you worried?"

"No. Sounds bad, doesn't it? The way my mother was on the phone, she was petrified. Even so, they could be in trouble or even worse, but I don't care. Is that bad?"

"I don't really know how to answer that."

"What about your family? I can't be the only one. I just, should I feel guilty for how they make me feel?"

Alton sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "Family is a hard one dude. My mother died five years back. Ever since the idea of family never really crossed my mind. I hoped to had closed the door on that part of me, you know?"

"What about your father?"

"He's the reason she is dead. He killed her and almost got me too."

"Oh, shit. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked.

"You know, I have never told anyone that in my entire life." He chuckled. "And here I am just casually dropping it like it is nothing. People make out family is the most important thing in the world. That your family defines you. I'm hoping that is never the case in my books. I even share the same powers as him. The ability to create and control ice. How poetic right."

"I thought you said you could control liquids?"

"That was on my mother's side. Got the best of both worlds. I stayed away from V.I.R.A.L and the world of supers because I didn't want to be a reminder of him."

Gale looked generally surprised by the information he got out of Alton from seemly nowhere. Conversations had come up about Alton being very secretive between the group, so this was a shock to him. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Who knows? Maybe I'm just looking to get it off my chest? I guess it could be because I don't want you to make the same mistake maybe if I saw the signs. I tried to help them instead of thinking about myself. If I were stronger or even braver, none of this would have happened. She might still be here. Don't go down that path. She warned me."

"She? You mean your mum?"

Alton froze for a moment shaking his head in defeat. "Let's go with that. Just remember Gale, whatever happens, they are family. If they need you by heaven and hell, you should be there."

"Do you consider your father family still?"

"Yes…"

"Leave. Now." A voice echoed through the trees. Everyone stopped looking confused.

"I couldn't be the only one to hear that?"

"Leave now!"

Gale began walking ahead as Emil yelled out. "Ah, come on! When a demonic voice from nowhere tells you to leave, that's your cue to leave!"

"Stop being a coward."

Gale stood in an opening. He kneeled, seeing cut down wood and an axe. He looked at the others concerned. "This looked to belong to one of the villagers. Must have been in a hurry. Left all their equipment here."

"Or something got them," Scarlett whispered, causing everyone to look at her. "Oh, pardon? Did say something wrong?"

Alton placed his hand on the tree where claw marks were spotted. "You wouldn't happen to have any bears on the island, would you?"

"No."

"Well then, we can officially rule out the cult's handiwork. I don't like this; if something is out there, we are practically just sitting ducks waiting for the dinner bell."

"Leave now!"

"That's strike three! Come on guys let's listen to the evil forest spirit."

"Were you not paying attention at all to what the captain said? He can't pick us up for the next serval days because of the storm. We are stuck here whether we like it or not."

"Le…"

"Huh, guess they gave up?" Percy chuckled. "Anyway, which was is your village?"

"Just this, what the hell?" Gale whispered stepping away. The trees around them began moving left and right. A soothing whistle swept through with the wind as Gale got a closer look. Touching the log, the tree came to life as a figure ripped out from the tree. Gale jumped back as something covered entirely in moss and vines emerged. It had no facial features or anything to tell it apart. As it moved closer sharp thorns ripped from its hands striking at Gale. Alton stopped the attack directly with a small icicle stabbing it and piercing through the tree. "What the fuck?!"

"Well at least we know what attacked the villagers. I've never seen anything like it." Alton exclaimed loudly walking up to the creature. Finishing it off the whole forest cried out. The wind began to pick up as everything went cloudy.

Zinnia fell to her knees holding her head. "This isn't right, the forest is being poisoned. Something is creating these creatures."

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"Seems some Anti-human doesn't want us here."

Emil screamed as one of the creatures appeared from the ground, grabbing his leg. Gale rushed over stomping on its serval times as it let go. The moment it did Scarlett threw it aside pinning it to the tree. She flipped her card away as more began appearing. "You've gone and done it now Alton."

"Hey, I wasn't expecting to fight undead creatures today. There is way too many of them we need to run. Which way is your village?!"

"This way, hurry!" Gale yelled as more creatures began swarming the forest. Alton turned around freezing the area blocking the horde as he gave a concerned look seeing no end to them. As he followed his allies the forest began taunting him once more with the words he never hoped to hear again.

"The Garden forever grows."